On Sunday, I watched three excellent football games. Of course, the big news of the day wasn't Tom Brady and the amazing touchdown in the last seconds to win the game but once again Trump, the bully, going off on a tangent.
We have the recent devastation of hurricanes and floods, not to speak about the ever-increasing threat of war, thanks to Trump. But rather than heading to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, to try to help those American citizens, this guy is getting his deplorables in a tizzy for the wrong reason, by dictating how the NFL should conduct its business.
Over a year ago Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback, posed with one knee down at an NFL game while the national anthem was being played. The knee gesture was in protest of the treatment of people of colour in the U.S. It was not in protest of the anthem or the flag.
Many athletes started following suit. Kaepernick has made it very clear that he loves his country, including the military who are fighting for his freedom of speech but the U.S. is clearly still divided racially. This is Kaepernick's way to bring attention to the U.S. Declaration of Independence which starts with: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Enter Trump with a blithering statement "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!'"
The clip was very disturbing to me. To see Trump's demeanor as he proclaimed, "He's fired". I mean really creepy. And his language was certainly not like any president that I have ever heard. As a result, there were displays against Trump's dictatorship. In retrospect we saw knees and arms together in solidarity all over the NFL.
Everyone seems to love and respect Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Together with his team, their decision was to stay in the locker room for the anthem. A statement issued by Carroll and his team said, "We will not stand for injustices that has plagued people of colour in this country."
Trump and his deplorables are associating a freedom that the military continuously fight for, the freedom of speech and expression, with disdain for the military and the anthem all because athletes of all colours finally said enough is enough.
No one hates the military or the flag or the anthem. How Trump and his minions came out with that conclusion is beyond me.
Trump made that impudent statement about Senator John McCain being weak because he was captured as a POW. Trump's deplorable followers said nothing, even though McCain is a decorated veteran. Just when the racial problems seem to have settled down in the States in comes a racist president who stirs the pot up.
Americans are fiercely patriotic people. It is evident the minute you cross the border with displays of the flag proudly visible on private homes. Everyone has their own version of being patriotic. Why are we associating only the military with patriotism? I have never served in the military and up until the election I felt patriotic.
After Trump's bullying ,Colin Kapernick's mom Teresa said very simply on Twitter: "That makes me a very proud bitch."
On Monday, Trump, once again, proudly announced that viewership is down for the NFL and asked why? He actually said that it is because people would rather watch him.
I would rather watch a New York Jets game than watch him!
